Route 66 Seat belt enforcement set this weekend

Wednesday

Jul 31, 2013 at 4:55 PM

This Friday, law enforcement agencies across eight states will be taking part in the quarterly “Get Your ‘Clicks’ on Route 66” seat belt crackdown, focusing on seat belt and child passenger safety laws.

This Friday, law enforcement agencies across eight states will be taking part in the quarterly “Get Your ‘Clicks’ on Route 66” seat belt crackdown, focusing on seat belt and child passenger safety laws.

The mobilization runs for 24 hours on Friday, Aug. 2.

Highway Patrol Troopers and State Police Officers from California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Missouri, Kansas and Illinois are invited to join with Oklahoma in enforcing seat belt laws along the famed “Mother Road,” said OHP Lt. Ben Crockett, coordinator for the program.

The Route 66 enforcement effort began in 2010 with a handful of law enforcement agencies in central Oklahoma. The 24-hour mobilizations now take place four times a year along Route 66 and involve law enforcement agencies from Illinois to California.

“These focused enforcement periods along Route 66 have turned out to be a great way to remind people of the importance of buckling up,” Crockett said. “Seat belts and child car seats are the best way to protect you and your family in the event of a crash.”

“We want everyone to buckle up – every trip, every time,” Crockett said. “And during the Route 66 crackdown, we’re out there to remind people that using a seat belt is not only a smart decision, it’s the law.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 13,000 lives are saved across the country every year by seat belts and child restraints, and motorists are 75 percent less likely to be killed in rollover crashes if they are buckled up.

For more information about seat belt and child passenger safety laws, visit www.ohso.ok.gov.